Why Stefanie Powers is a theatre girl at Hart

Best known for her role in the US?television series Hart to Hart, Stefanie Powers is currently starring at the Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton. She speaks to

Charlotte Cross about her life.

Eighties film and TV icon Stefanie Powers has performed alongside Bing Crosby, battled to survive lung cancer and braved the jungle – and she is now returning to her roots in theatre with a five-day run at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre.

Powers, who plays Ethel in On Golden Pond, took some time out between shows to chat to the Express & Star about her hugely successful career.

"My origins are in musical theatre, so it has been wonderful to return to the stage," said the 69-year-old redhead, best known for her role in US TV series Hart to Hart alongside Robert Wagner. "I hadn't done a play in a while and I loved this piece, so it was the perfect chance to try it out."

Born in Hollywood, Powers – who went to school with Nancy Sinatra – has seen the full spectrum of the fame experience, from the glamour of the 50s to today's celeb-hungry "money machine".

"Celebrity isn't what it was when I started out. People didn't become actors to be celebrities," she says.

"Back then, I was able to work with some of the iconic movie stars like Bing Crosby and John Wayne.

"Hollywood was a small town – we used to brush shoulders with these people. Joan Crawford used to give me notes on my performances. I feel very privileged to have lived through those most wonderful of times."

More recently, Powers appeared in last year's I'm a Celebrity competition, where she was voted out first.

"Being in the jungle was a very interesting experience," she said.

"It accomplished everything I wanted it to and the reasons I went in there, which made me happy.

"I'm an outdoor girl and I have been on expeditions in rough and sometimes dangerous circumstances, so sleeping under the stars wasn't an issue – it's actually something I adore doing. I don't mind snakes or bugs or any of those little critters because I'm used to camping. But this was something else altogether."

Stefanie, who became notorious for being calm during the challenges and one of the bossiest campmates, was the first to be voted out of the jungle after 13 days, following several run-ins with the others.

She lost a "rat run" bushtucker trial to The Only Way is Essex actor Mark Wright – but says she didn't mind losing out as the reasons behind her journey to the jungle was simply to be a poster girl for survivors of lung cancer, and to raise awareness for charity.

Powers was the founder behind the William Holden Wildlife Fund, dedicated to the memory of the keen conservationist and Oscar-winning actor, and has carried out various activities with the Jaguar Conservation Trust, set up by car giant Jaguar Land Rover to protect their namesake big cat from hunters.

She also revealed she is in similar talks with car manufacturers Ford, and hopes to get them to sign up to a scheme to protect a species of North American wild horse from which they took one of their most famous brand names – the mustang.

"My life now, and for quite a few years, has been divided between my career and running some quite elaborate conservation efforts," she said.

"I like to think I can do something to help protect these creatures."

The Hart To Hart star's autobiography, One from the Hart, focuses on her career as well as personal issues such as the death of her mother, with whom she was very close.

"The book was motivated by two life-changing events, one was the death of my mother and the second, was the discovery of my own lung cancer," she said.

"It was a hard time and a very reflective time. I wrote the book while recovering from both of these very significant events – reliving that time was very hard for me. I cried a lot while writing it."

* On Golden Pond runs at The Grand until tomorrow (Saturday, February 4, 2012). Prices start from £9.50, with concessions available.